Snag fishing for carp the safe way

When fishing snags, tree lines or next to awkward features you will generally have more success if you place the rig tight under the tree coverage or very close to the snag during the day. The reason is that many carp, especially in pressured waters, tend to hold up tight under the trees or directly in the snags during daylight hours. This may be because there is noise and/or a disturbances, or probably due to the general angling pressure from fishermen. Whatever the reason, carp prefer to hold up in “safe” areas where they rarely get caught. In the past, I have placed effective carp fishing rigs up to 12 feet away from hanging trees when casting to the opposite bank, and on many occasions, have not caught all day.

Yet, as soon as I have managed to get the rig right under the tree, I have caught carp almost immediately. This has happened to me on numerous occasions when fishing to both snags and trees. Even when fishing against islands, I have sometimes had to cast right against the island bank in order to get action during the day. I would like to point out that to avoid any potential problems it’s always best to try and catch carp away from any snags first. Rather than just whacking a rig right into snaggy areas at first cast. encouraging carp away from snags can be achieved by baiting up a good 12 feet or so away from the snags and let the fish come out for their food.

The lead clip I’ve been using is a nice device from Rigmarole, the lead clip simply slots onto the line after your rig is assembled and locks into place using the tail rubber which is also available in 4 different colours I recommend that you use a Rigmarole ring piece swivel to complete your rig.

If using other types of swivels please ensure that the swivel is not jammed in to tight. The Freefall lead clip is made from cast alloy and has been designed to be ejected from the line with the lead on contact with weed and snags.

The clip used in these situations will improve your catch rate. Unlike other makes the strong alloy construction is also suited to long distance casting

Samantha Collins Ratcliffe